Eric Legnini’s Guitar Trio is a new project of famous French pianist, who will come to Podgorica for the occasion of World Music Day, originally written “Fête de la Musique”. He will play his fresh and new music. The three instruments that make up his trio multiply the melodic possibilities! Guitar player Hugo Lippi plays with many musicians (such as for example Sophie Alour, Stéphane Belmondo, Sylvain Luc, Pierrick Pedron, Emmanuel Bex, David Lynch, for his film Inland Emire, etc.), and singers (Sarah Lazarus, Sarah McKenzie): his openness gives him a chance to play in any kind of musical context, and mostly to bring very original universe. Famous double bass player Thomas Brameire, one of the best jazz bassists on the jazz scene for the last 30 years, has given rhythm, heart beats to the music of almost every major trios, quartets and other jazz quintets. He has a lot of experience playing with great singers (to name a few: Dee Dee Bridgwater and Milton Nascimento), but is also recognized by a generation of musicians both as a solid foundation and for bringing a round and subtle sound.

Finally, the keyboard of Eric Legnini is rich of his experiences as a leader, accompanist, whether on a repertoire of standards or in contexts much more pop, but still keeps an obvious link with the melody; the song, is a leitmotif in Legnini, his musical DNA in a way.
We would like to thank to everyone who supported this special event for the special occasion: L’Institut français du Monténégro, KIC “Budo Tomović”, and Societe Generale Montenegro. Come and share this beautiful music and meet with French musicians. Join us by celebrating and enjoying new music.

We are proud to announce the concert of award winning percussionist and composer Marilyn Mazur from Denmark, on June 8th at the “Budo Tomovic” Cultural Information Center of Podgorica, at 8pm. She will present her new large ensemble, in which she gathered ten strong female Scandinavian musicians as well as a Norwegian dancer Tine Erica Aspaas. SHAMANIA project started when Copenhagen Jazz festival suggested Mazur to review her old music theater group Primi Band, from the 80’ies. Marilyn loved the idea of creating a new large group with some of fantastic female musicians of today, and to present very fresh version of the ideas from Primi: a ritual, organic, cacophonous, and wild-growing female community around primitive force, voices, rhythm, good energy, and movement. SHAMANIA had its first performance at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival 2015, and played several large festivals in Europe 2016 and 2017, including jazzahead!

SHAMANIA is a Danish-based orchestra and music theater with great musicians from Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. The project has received support from Danish Arts Council, and other organizations.
Shamania is recorded in May 2017, and plan to release an album later this year.
During her rich and successful career Marilyn Mazur has won numerous awards for her work, among which are: The Ben Webster Award (1983), “Jazzpar” (2001), and “Django D’Or – Legend of Jazz” (2006). In addition, she received the Wilhelm Hansen Award for her composition work – prize usually only awarded to composers in the field of classical music, as well as the international award for culture awarded by Telenor (2007), and the First International EuroCore – JTI Jazz Award. In earlier times of her career Marilyn Mazur has played in the groups and orchestras of jazz masters such as Jan Garbarek, Miles Davis, Gil Evans, and Wayne Shorter.

Our special guest this year for Jazz Appreciation Month in Montenegro was John Edward Hasse (1948), a famous American jazz author, writer, pianist and musicologist. During his two-day visit, Dr. Hasse gave lectures at the Ministry of Culture – “Why We Need the Arts More Than Ever?”, and in Podgorica Gymnasium – “Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song”; he also attended the concerts within the JAM festival, met the minister of culture, secretary of Montenegrin National Commission for UNESCO, and other cultural workers, journalists, musicians and supporters of our JAM; he was interviewed on the National Radio and TV program (RTCG).

Music historian, musician, award-winning author and record producer, John Edward Hasse has served over 30 years as curator of American Music at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, where he was the founding Executive Director of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, an acclaimed big band, and he founded the national Jazz Appreciation Month, celebrated every April throughout the U.S. and beyond. He has curated a series of exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institution. John Edward Hasse is a global voice for American jazz music—and a leader himself in the search for creative achievement. He is the author of a critically acclaimed biography Beyond Category: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington. In January 2018 he received “Legend of Jazz Education” Award, an honor previously given to Ellis Marsalis, David Baker, and Herbie Hancock.

We are delighted to share the interview with John Edward Hasse published on 21 April in “Vijesti” daily.

-Your work for decades as a curator of the American Music in the Smithsonian Institution is very appreciated in the U.S., and is very impressive. Can you please explain your special interests and accomplishments during your work in this prestigious institution?

JEH: For me, my work represented far more than a “dream job”—it was a calling. It was deeply gratifying to pursue my passion—music generally and jazz especially—for 33 years.

My duties were broad and the job was demanding; it meant wearing about twelve different “hats”—collector, preservationist, exhibit curator, scholar, public speaker, advocate, spokesperson, public servant, coalition builder, cultural ambassador, friend-raiser and fund-raiser.

There are three accomplishments I’m particularly proud of. (1) Leading a concerted effort to build the world’s largest museum collection of jazz history, with artifacts from Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, and many others. The Duke Ellington Collection alone is a world treasure—200,000 pages of documents, half of that unpublished music that he and Billy Strayhorn composed for the Duke Ellington Orchestra. (2) Founding Jazz Appreciation Month, now in its 17th year. (3) Founding a distinguished big band, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, now in its 27th season of concerts and tours.

-What inspired you to create Jazz Appreciation Month?

JEH: I felt that jazz was and is one of the greatest 20th century contributions to American and world culture, but that it was undervalued and underappreciated. Designating one month to focus on jazz creates an annual occasion and platform for all sorts of public celebrations in schools, college, libraries, museums, concert halls, and radio and TV stations. JAM is now celebrated across the United States and around the world.

-How this idea spread to the US and abroad?

JEH: The idea has spread in several ways: through the Smithsonian Institution—the world’s largest museum and research complex; through partnerships with thirty-some national and international organizations; and through the passion of individual jazz musicians and advocates, such as Montenegro’s own Maja Popovic. She leads one of the world’s foremost celebrations of Jazz Appreciation Month. Her vision, leadership, and advocacy deeply impress me.

-You are passionate about music and leadership. You have given a lot of lectures on this topic “Leadership Lessons from the Jazz Masters.” How does jazz provide leaders with inspiration?

JEH: Duke Ellington. A brilliant composer and bandleader, he led the greatest jazz orchestra in history. He treated each musician as if he or she were very special—a jewel—important to the whole team, and the results were spectacular. He inspired them to perform at, or beyond, their best, and engendered great loyalty and longevity from his players.

Imagine what a different world we’d have if all our leaders recognized what Ellington knew: that each one of us has been given different gifts. And that we all need to find a way to highlight each person’s gifts, downplay their weaknesses, enhance their strengths, and bring out their very best. That’s a powerful leadership lesson from jazz master Duke Ellington.

I consider Ellington the greatest all-around American musician: composer, bandleader-conductor, arranger-orchestrator, soloist, and accompanist. Nobody did all those things so brilliantly as Ellington. His recordings and compositions will resound through the centuries and, I believe, the millennia.

-Recently, you were awarded by the “Legend of Jazz Education”! Can you tell us more about your educational work?

JEH: You could say that education is practically in my DNA: both my parents were teachers, and I believe strong in educating the next generation as well as curious adults. To that end, I have curated Smithsonian exhibitions on Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Ray Charles. I’ve co-authored a leading textbook for college students, Discover Jazz. I’ve contributed to educational offerings on the Smithsonian’s website www.smithsonianjazz.org.

And I consider each lecture an opportunity to educate.

-What are your current projects?

JEH: I just spent a week at the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, presenting 13 lectures on jazz. I love sharing my knowledge and passion with interested audiences. I also write on jazz for The Wall Street Journal and am exploring ideas for my next book.

-The last JAM at the Smithsonian was dedicated to Women in Jazz; following that idea, this year’s JAM in Montenegro is inspired the women as well. Do you think women deserve more space in the jazz world? Why does this theme still matter, and why we need to talk about it?

There is no question that women need more space and recognition in jazz. It’s a male-dominated field from top to bottom: musicians, composers, record producers, concert producers, booking agents, critics, and even audiences. But the talent that women musicians have displayed and shared with the public is staggering. And they’ve had a very uphill struggle to achieve all that they have achieved. I’d like to see a lot more young women get involved in the music, and as they progress in their careers, they will serve as role models and naturally inspire the next generation of young women to consider jazz as a profession.